All the missionaries in Mexico city, plus the CCM. Sorry I could not get them all to smile at once, and some got left out of the picture.
We went to a Mexico City Mission Conference with all four missions, north south, east, and west plus all the missionaries in the CCM (MTC Mexico). All the five mission presidents were present with their wives and families and also the Area president and three 70’s including one of the presidents of the 70’s. All in all there were over 1,000 missionaries in attendance. Our main attraction was Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the twelve.
We were taught by Elder Holland about the changing emphasis of our work. The church wants us to be better missionaries to teach and convert better and stronger new members. Elder Holland said the most important convert we need to make is ourselves. The church can’t afford to lose one single missionary. When we go home we need to stay strong and not crash and burn. We need to tell people how the mission has changed or lives and we need to demonstrate how these changes have made us better members of the church. He said numbers of baptisms are not as important as new members who are truly converted and stay active after their missionaries leave. If your converts don’t stay active after you leave, then you might just as well baptize sacks of sand. We need to leave our area better than when we arrived in it.
He said the only way to do the work is His (the Savior’s) way. If it’s not His way, then it’s not his work. He admonished us to read and take to heart D&C Section 50: 15-22. Elder Holland encouraged us to be better and to give the very best that is in us to give for the rest of our mission. He also referred us to and we read from Helaman 5: 17-19 with his emphasis on preaching with power and authority.
All of this was for the purpose of instructing us on why “Preach my Gospel” was introduced into the missionary program of the church. I strongly recommend to all of my family to obtain personal copies of this powerful missionary manual to add to your scriptures, and read and study and pray over it as you study, that we may all follow the guidance of our prophets and become missionaries for the church. If the ancient prophecy of Daniel which says, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet . . . and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth, (Dan 2: 34-35)” is to be fulfilled then we all need to work as missionaries, and help find the people for the full time missionaries to teach. We also need to help teach and nurture all the new converts that come amongst us and help them to build strong testimonies and strong eternal families. Elder Holland said the church loves to see baptismal white, but what we really want to see is more Temple white.
It made us reflect on the recent Temple blessings that our own family has experienced in this past week, and we are so grateful for this. Of course we wanted with all our heart to be there with you, but more importantly we were so thankful for the blessings of two new eternal family units within the bosom of our own family. Families are forever and we want with all our hearts and souls to see each and every member of our eternal family attending the temple worthily. We want to be united as a family in Father’s kingdom in heaven and continue our association with each and every one of you forever.
We weren’t allowed to take pictures during the conference, but you all know what Elder Holland looks like anyway. I did snap a few pictures of the missionaries as they visited with one another in the parking lot at the temple after the meeting was adjourned. I wish now that I had taken a video. My camera is so new that I sometimes forget about its remarkable capabilities.
We went to a Mexico City Mission Conference with all four missions, north south, east, and west plus all the missionaries in the CCM (MTC Mexico). All the five mission presidents were present with their wives and families and also the Area president and three 70’s including one of the presidents of the 70’s. All in all there were over 1,000 missionaries in attendance. Our main attraction was Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the twelve.
We were taught by Elder Holland about the changing emphasis of our work. The church wants us to be better missionaries to teach and convert better and stronger new members. Elder Holland said the most important convert we need to make is ourselves. The church can’t afford to lose one single missionary. When we go home we need to stay strong and not crash and burn. We need to tell people how the mission has changed or lives and we need to demonstrate how these changes have made us better members of the church. He said numbers of baptisms are not as important as new members who are truly converted and stay active after their missionaries leave. If your converts don’t stay active after you leave, then you might just as well baptize sacks of sand. We need to leave our area better than when we arrived in it.
He said the only way to do the work is His (the Savior’s) way. If it’s not His way, then it’s not his work. He admonished us to read and take to heart D&C Section 50: 15-22. Elder Holland encouraged us to be better and to give the very best that is in us to give for the rest of our mission. He also referred us to and we read from Helaman 5: 17-19 with his emphasis on preaching with power and authority.
All of this was for the purpose of instructing us on why “Preach my Gospel” was introduced into the missionary program of the church. I strongly recommend to all of my family to obtain personal copies of this powerful missionary manual to add to your scriptures, and read and study and pray over it as you study, that we may all follow the guidance of our prophets and become missionaries for the church. If the ancient prophecy of Daniel which says, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet . . . and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth, (Dan 2: 34-35)” is to be fulfilled then we all need to work as missionaries, and help find the people for the full time missionaries to teach. We also need to help teach and nurture all the new converts that come amongst us and help them to build strong testimonies and strong eternal families. Elder Holland said the church loves to see baptismal white, but what we really want to see is more Temple white.
It made us reflect on the recent Temple blessings that our own family has experienced in this past week, and we are so grateful for this. Of course we wanted with all our heart to be there with you, but more importantly we were so thankful for the blessings of two new eternal family units within the bosom of our own family. Families are forever and we want with all our hearts and souls to see each and every member of our eternal family attending the temple worthily. We want to be united as a family in Father’s kingdom in heaven and continue our association with each and every one of you forever.
We weren’t allowed to take pictures during the conference, but you all know what Elder Holland looks like anyway. I did snap a few pictures of the missionaries as they visited with one another in the parking lot at the temple after the meeting was adjourned. I wish now that I had taken a video. My camera is so new that I sometimes forget about its remarkable capabilities.
Love to all Grandma and grandpa
